Life prison sentence for sex crimes against five Amish girls, two others

Life prison sentence for sex crimes against five Amish girls, two others

Amish man sentenced in rapes

WARREN

Daniel Miller, 47, of West Farmington, was sentenced Monday to 20 years to life in prison for committing at least 17 sex crimes against seven girls age 4 to 14, including five counts of rape.

The crimes — including 11 counts of molestation and one of sexual battery that is similar to rape — occurred from 2000 to July 2012.

Miller didn’t give a statement during his hearing in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court, nor did anyone else speak on his behalf, such as his attorney or the approximately 25 members of the Trumbull County Amish community who filled the courtroom.

Nor did any of the girls in Miller’s own family who were among the victims.

The desire of the Amish community to handle problems internally made the case complicated, but Gabe Wildman, assistant county prosecutor, said after the hearing that he believes Amish leaders have started to realize that secrecy is not the best policy in matters of this type.

“I feel like we’re on the same page,” Wildman said of elders in the Amish community who he has talked with on a regular basis throughout the investigation. “I think the case caused some in the Amish community to realize how important it is to come forward and disclose.”

The assaults first came to light when Trumbull County Children Services interviewed one of two former Amish sisters in an unrelated matter and learned about Miller’s offenses against her.

That led to allegations made by members of Miller’s own family and an indictment in January accusing him of rape and other sex assaults against five girls age 11 to 14 from 2009 to July 2012.

But when those allegations became public, two other sisters, who were not Amish but had stayed at the Miller household to receive babysitting services from Miller’s wife, came forward.

They told authorities they were only 4 and 7 when Miller raped and sexually assaulted them at the Millers’ home on state Route 534 in West Farmington in 2000 and 2001.